Hunter: The Risen
by Pyro Bear
Summary: Dawn and Connor are off to school, taking them away from everything they know. But at least they would now get a chance to be normal kids...or maybe not. Shelved.
1. The Rogue

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor Buffy nor Angel. If I did, would the past seasons turn out like that? Would I have a car? Would I be writing this?  
  


* * *

  
"Welcome to the Leaky Caldron, how may I help you?" Tom looked up from cleaning the glass as he repeated the mantra for what seemed like the millionth time. It was a day or two before Hogwarts was to be let out, so all was quiet.  
  
In front of him stood a young man around the age of fifteen or sixteen. Standing at about 5'7", he did not really command an awe aspiring presence. If it wasn't for the fact that they were the only two in the pub, Tom might not have noticed him.  
  
"Good afternoon," the teen boy smiled as he pushed dark auburn hair away from his mahogany like eyes. "I was wondering if you had any rooms available? Preferably small and not too expensive." The boy's head was down, and the long bangs were in his face again, and once again they were brushed away.  
  
"There's a room in the clock tower," Tom offered. "It's not much, and it's a long walk from here. But it seems to be what you're looking for."  
  
The boy nodded, "How much?"  
  
Tom looked at the man-child in front of him. As a wizard advanced in his years, Tom knew the look of people who did not have a lot of money, and this boy didn't have a lot. And what he did have, he would need later on. "Four galleons, and 5 sickles a night," Tom decided. When he saw the look of indignation crossing the boy's face, he held up a callused hand. "If you're wanting to give a hand with the place, it wouldn't be a bother."  
  
The boy smiled, "Thank you. I will be back later then." He turned to leave.  
  
"Wait, son. What's your name?" Tom called out.  
  
The boy turned. "The French called me Jay Rogue," and then he was gone.  
  
And Tom went back to cleaning the glass, wondering about the strange boy he had just encountered.  
  
  
Jay smiled as he walked into the English Wizarding marketplace. He had missed it here, England. Walking to a public floo, he threw a bit of blue powder into the already lit fireplace. "Always keep a bit of floo powder handy, never know when you'll need it," he whispered to himself as the flames grew green. "Hogwarts, Headmaster's office," he said out loud before stepping into the unburning flames.  
  
  
"Ah Jamie, just one time, just like your father," Headmaster Dumbledore said as the teen stumbled into the office.  
  
Jay looked up and smiled at the older man he had grown up knowing. "Jay if you please. Jamison if you must."  
  
Dumbledore laughed. "Too old for that nickname. We would you like your father here?" the teen shook his head no. "Too old for that as well. Well then, here we go," the headmaster took the old ratty hat known as the Sorting Hat. It was plopped onto his head.  
  
"Hello Jamison," the voice of the hat said.  
  
"Jay," the teen said, or rather thought, automatically. "If you please."  
  
"Polite, so very unlike first years. And intelligent. Hmm…but unlike many of your family members. But I think Ravenclaw."  
  
"Thank you," Jay thought as the hat was lifted off his head. He looked at the professor.  
  
"Till next year then?" the older man asked.  
  
Jay shrugged, "Most likely. I'm staying by myself this summer.  
  
Dumbledore nodded solemnly. He had been expecting that answer. "Family is important though. When my brother had that nasty business, with the sheep, we stuck by him. Papers covered by it, you know. Still, didn't really affect Sherman." The old man picked up a book and looked through it, smiling so often. He polished his half-moon spectacles as he beamed at the teen. "I do not see why your father and yourself could not spend a week at the Keep."  
  
Jay shrugged, "There's always too much to do and not enough time to do it. Going to the Keep would just disrupt his schedule. And you know nothing has been the same since Dann and Will have decided to entertain the Muggle world. Father and I are too different, or maybe too alike for us to be together alone for a week."  
  
Dumbledore nodded once again. "If you are free this summer, I was wondering if you would be able to pick up two transfer students. They are new to the magical world and I feel it best if someone was to ease them into everything."  
  
Jay nodded; he didn't have anything better to do. "Where would I meet them?"  
  
"Boston, on the twenty-first of August. You will be able to floo there, but you will fly to Heathrow Airport in muggle London."  
  
Jay shrugged, "I'm up for it. I mean, I spent my years at Hope Haven, should help. Anything I should know about them?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "It is a girl and a boy. The girl has a code name of the Key, and the boy's code name is the Destroyer. They've lived in the Muggle world, but know about the supernatural. For now, I think that is needed to be said."  
  
"If you think so Headmaster," Jay nodded and went to the floo. "Tell my father I send me regards." And he was off.  
  
Professor Dumbledore watched as the teen disappeared into the flames of the floo network. "Sometimes I wonder if the broken pieces can be put back together again." He shook his head, "Now what did I do with those class lists Minerva gave me?"  
  
  
The next couple of days went by and soon Jay grew used to the summer schedule. Normally he would wake around eight and head down to the pub where he would help Tom out with the morning crowd. Then it was off to Diagon Alley for the day. The teen had found that he enjoyed spending his days in a little bookstore that was situated behind Madame Malkin's shop. It was smaller than Flourish and Blotts, but just as nice as far as he was concerned.  
  
He had also met a friend of sorts, she had already graduated from Hogwarts, and had been in Gryffindor as well as being head girl. She ran the bookshop and was always willing to recommend a good book. "'Ello Hermione," Jay said as he walked in. The smell of peppermint greeted him like always.  
  
"Hello Jamison," Hermione chirped, she was a morning person. She was the only person to call him so, and even though he still grimaced when he heard his full name, Jay found it endearing.  
  
"And how was your night last night?" Jay asked slyly as Hermione brought him a cup of tea. It had become a tradition of sorts for him to come for a breakfast tea pick me up.   
  
Hermione made a face. "I like Terry as a friend, but he just doesn't seem to understand that. I'm about ready throttle him."  
  
Jay smiled sympathetically. "Oh," he said, "I almost forgot, I brought back the book you lent me," he leaned over and grabbed the book out of his leather satchel. He handed the book to her, it was entitled Things Adults Don't Want You to Know About: Concerning Animagi Part I.  
  
"Finished already?" Hermione asked.  
  
Jay nodded, "My brothers had book like it in their collection while they were in school. And since I was the little Ravenclaw I was, I read everything that lay about the house. Granted, some was locked up, but that's where the Slytherin side came through." He gave a boyish grin.  
  
Hermione chuckled, "You must have been a proper little hellion growing up."  
  
His smile faded, "I didn't really grow up at home. My oldest brother was a good 13 years older than I was, the other one was 8 years older. I was five, and I was sent to Hope Haven. I have been going there until last year."  
  
Hermione's eyes softened, but she did not offer him any pity. She knew the boy hated pity. "Do you talk to your brother's often?" she asked.  
  
He shook his head. "The younger, Dann, took off his seventh year to study at a muggle school. He took courses by Owl Post. The older one, Will, graduated and promptly went out into the world of muggles. Playing he is. Not a serious bone in his body, well that's what my father says anyway," Jay made a face, his father and he did not get along.  
  
"Do you know what your Animagus form will be?" Hermione asked. The book she had lent him had an incantation that allowed you to find out your form. You didn't have to use your wand, so no Ministry Vultures would be down upon him.  
  
Jay frowned. "I'm not really sure. I saw a raccoon, a jay, a panther, and a raven."  
  
Hermione patted her shoulder, "Well then. Why don't you try this book?" she held out a copy of  Things Adults Don't Want You to Know About: Concerning Animagi Part II. "Now remember, I want you to go directly to Professor McGonagall once you get to Hogwarts, you hear me?" she told the teen.  
  
Jay rolled his eyes. "Yes mum. And I suppose you want me to eat my vegetables at every meal."  
  
Hermione chuckled as she reached over to cuff his ear lightly. He ducked. "I'll go read this tonight if you don't mind. I'll see you later."  
  
Hermione waved and went to reading one of the romance novels she had picked up in muggle London. Not that she believed in such things of course.  
  
  
Jay sat in the Leaky Caldron, in the corner to be exact, and he was drawing. He wasn't particularly good, nor was he particularly good. He just liked to draw. "Merlin's balls, this bloody thing won't go _right_!" the teen muttered as he started to erase the landscape he had started to draw.  
  
"Do you kiss your mum with that mouth?" a snippety voice said.  
  
Jay looked up, and nearly growled. "Don't have a mother. Never did, never will," the tone of voice was hard and chilling. It was a tone reserved for men who had led hard and weary lives, not for fifteen-year-old just finding out what life truly was.   
  
"Don't take that tone of voice with me," the older man told the teen.  
  
Jay stood, "Don't take that tone of voice with me," he mocked. "You are not my father Will, do not act as if you are."  
  
The man, now identified as Will, took a step back before he realized what he was doing. Leaning closer, he whispered, "But I acted like one. So don't test my patience, for I have none, especially when rude people are concerned. "  
  
Jay rolled his eyes. "Don't get too big for your britches. I'm not your son, nor am I a child. Go do some growing up of your own. I have already done mine." Picking up he bag along with his sketchbook, Jay pushed past his oldest brother.  
  
"Jamie, wait," Will tried to grab the arm of his youngest brother.  
  
The teen turned, eyes flashing. Suddenly Will was remind of their mother. Out the three boys of the family, Will had the best memory of the woman. Although she was sickly, she more than made up for it in spirit. She was a woman you did not want to cross. With strawberry hair, always pinned back, and a fiery temper, she could make any grown man tremble when her family was concerned. But she had fallen sick, pneumonia, just after Jamie's first birthday. She died that following autumn.  
  
"It's Jay," the teen ground out before turning back around and climbing up the stairs.  
  
Will didn't even bother trying to stop him. He was still reeling from what had been revealed about his youngest sibling. Instead of the happy person with bright eyes and friendly manner, he had found a cold person, a shell. And he didn't like it. He wanted his little brother back.  
  
  
Jay climbed the stairs to his room and wondered when August 21st would roll around. Diagon Alley, although he hated to say this, was boring him. And now Will had shown up. Knowing his luck, Dann would show as well. Sneering to a painting, Jay hurried up to his room. Maybe Dumbledore would need help at Hogwarts, or maybe he could collect the new students early, or maybe he'd just get away from a past he didn't want brought up.  
  
  
"That was interesting," a voice interrupted Will's thoughts. It came from the shadows.  
  
Will turned, "Get out of the shadows Dann. Couldn't you have helped me with that? You know, like holding his arms behind his back or something?" Will snapped.  
  
Dann stepped out and faced his older, and taller, brother. "You know better than that," he said, in a slightly scolding manner, "Besides, I don't go by that anymore, it's Oz. Just like you don't go by Will, Spike."  
  
Spike scowled, "Listen you overgrown puppy. Something is wrong with Jamie, and all you can do is make jokes?"  
  
Oz raised an eyebrow. "You do care. After all those years of pretending you didn't. It's nice to see you human."  
  
"No bleedin' thanks to PTB an' all. 'Sides, neither were you," Spike raised an eyebrow, "You were just a big puppy. Sunnyhell does tend to have that effect. Look at what the Hellmouth did to your Animagus form, turned it into a were curse. How was that by the way?"  
  
Oz ignored the bait. "I heard the Sunnydale locale closed," he commented as they say down where the youngest of the three had been sitting.  
  
Spike nodded, "Thanks to me. Big burst of sunlight made me candle in the sodding wind. Or dust, to put it right. Think some idiot up there decided I was 'uman, and dumped a body on me. 'Ere I am. Live and bloody kicking. Woke up not a week ago at the Keep. The elves told me that our old man had brought me there a week before."  
  
Oz nodded, "Have you spoken to our father?" he asked.  
  
Spike shook his head. "No, I did speak to Dumbledore though. Seems little Jamie was sorted into Ravenclaw."  
  
Oz looked up, "Don't look at me. I was in Hufflepuff, took after mum's grandmother and our grandmother."  
  
Spike nodded, "Just like the puppy dog you are, loyal to the end."  
  
Oz looked at him strangely, "Thanks, I think."  
  



	2. Working on Search for Self

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize.  
  


* * *

  
"Happy Birthday to, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to Dawn, happy birthday to you!" Everyone sang a little off key. Dawn smiled, it was the first celebration after the destruction of Sunnydale, or closing of the Hellmouth, whichever you preferred.  
  
People had changed that day. Faith, Principal Wood (now Robin), Buffy, everyone…even her. They had lost people that day. Potential slayers, friends, enemies, allies. She has lost Spike. Blinking back tears, Dawn told herself she wasn't going to think about him. He had died, yes. But he had died good. He had died a champion.   
  
"Dawn," she looked up, when she hear her name being called. Robin stood in front of her, an unwrapped box in his hand. It was weird to call him by his first name. Cause she had known him as Principal Wood, the thing was, he was a principal with no school. It was dust in an even bigger pile of dust that had been known as Sunnydale. Blinking, she shook her head and looked up at him.  
  
"Yes?" she asked.  
  
"Here," he handed her the box. "I know it's not fancy or anything. But you should like it."  
  
Dawn nodded and opened it. Inside lay a coat, a black leather coat. Spike's coat. She looked up at the black man. "Wow. I mean, thank you," she sputtered before smiling again. "Thanks."  
  
He nodded, "Spike gave this to me, you know. It was my mother's. I guess it was his own way of telling me he was sorry. But you will get more use out of it than I will."  
  
Smiling again, Dawn took the coat out of the box and slipped it on. God, it still smelled like Spike. "Thanks," she told Robin as she stood and slipped out of the Hyperion Hotel.  
  
They had been there for the past two months. It was nice really, better than everyone crammed into the house. There were rooms and Dawn got her own room back. Well, not her own room, but a room to herself. The potentials shared rooms, two to a room. Five rooms per bathroom. Floors four, five, six, and seven were potential "dorms". Floor three were for everyone else, like Robin, Faith, Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, her, and Angel and his people.  
  
Stepping into the garden, Dawn spied a crossbow lying haphazardly on the ground, stakes upon the bench above. Dawn snorted softly. Potentials were becoming careless. That would get them killed. Picking it up, she loaded the crossbow with one of the stakes. It felt so right in her arms. It was hard to believe she was not called, but then again, Dawn was glad she wasn't.  
  
She heard a noise and swung around, the crossbow, cocked and aimed. It was just Connor, Angel's teenage son. His dark brown hair was long, and tied back at the base of his neck. Merry blue eyes snapped and crackled as he laughed as he pushed the crossbow away. "Careful were you point that thing," he told her. "You could hurt somebody."  
  
Dawn glared, "Not you, you walking weapon of mass destruction."  
  
He grinned. "Maybe, maybe not." He flopped down upon one of the benches and beckoned for her to join him. Dawn looked at him before dropping the crossbow and sitting next to him. "You okay?" he asked her after a few moments of silence.  
  
She looked at him, "Yeah, why?"  
  
He shrugged, "You looked sad. When you got the coat. I was wondering if you wanted someone to talk to."  
  
She looked at him, curiosity plain in her eyes. "Why?" Dawn asked him simply. No one had really asked her if she was okay, mentally, in a long while.  
  
"I know what it feels like to be alone. It's not fun," Connor leaned his head back so it was touching the wall.  
  
Dawn looked at him from the corner of her eye, "Did you think that up all on your own?" she snapped. Instantly she felt like an ass. "Connor, I'm…" she tried to say.  
  
He looked at her darkly. "Don't say a thing. I get it." Standing he started to walk away.  
  
Dawn stood up too and grabbed at his hand, making him turn around. "Stop it, okay? Look, I'm sorry. It's just. I don't know. Life is wacky, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry, okay?" She looked into his eyes for a second before looking down. That's when she realized she was still holding his hand. She let it go, blushing.  
  
Before either of them could say anything, a large owl swooped down, dropping two letters. It landed in a nearby tree.  
  
Dawn looked at the letter that sat in her hands.  
  
_ Miss Dawn Summers  
Hyperion Hotel Front Garden  
2323 Secant Court  
Los Angeles, California, United States_  
  
She blinked at the strange address. How had the person known that she would be standing in the garden when she received the letter? It was very strange indeed.  
  
Opening in the letter she started to read.  
  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY  
  
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)  
  
Dear Miss Summers,  
  
It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although circumstances have led to a late acceptance, we feel strongly that accepting you in your fifth year will be far better than allowing you to join the wizard world with very little to no schooling. Please think about our offer. The term starts September 1st, but I will be sending two students to collect you from Boston International Airport on July 21st. Please send your response with Aein.   
  
Sincerely,  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
Headmaster  
  
Dawn looked up, her mouth opened and closed, with no sound coming out.  
  
"Nice impression of a goldfish," Connor told her.  
  
She looked at him sharply. "Well you would be like that too if you got something like this!" Dawn waved the piece of parchment in her hand in the air.  
  
He gave her a smirk that almost rivaled his father's. "Oh but I did," he waggled a finger in her general direction.  
  
Dawn blushed for the second time that night, "Shut up," she mumbled.  
  
"So what do you think?" Connor asked her.  
  
She looked at him. And then sighed, flopping onto the bench. "It'd be cool. Be a change. We could be normal. Well as normal as one could be in a wizarding school. Wow, this is very Lord of the Rings."  
  
Connor looked at her, "That's the movie with the freakishly short people, right?"  
  
She looked at him strangely before nodding. "Yeah, but the book was better."  
  
He nodded, "It could be fun. Think there will be a ring?"  
  
She gave him an exasperated look. "You do know that was a movie, right?"  
  
He shrugged. "So what do you think. How do we'll tell everyone?"  
  
"The truth?" Dawn asked her.  
  
He shook his head, "They'll think we're nuttier than extra-chunky peanut butter. I say we write back to this Dumbly-door person and say yes, and then figure out how to tell them."  
  
Dawn nodded, "You do realize we only have a good 13 days to tell them?"  
  
Connor shrugged, "Oh well, 13 was always my lucky number."  
  
Dawn glared at him. "Come on, let's get back inside before someone misses us."  
  
Connor looked at her as he caught her hand. "But what if I want them to miss us?"  
  
She gave him a smile. "There will be plenty of time for that. But it's my birthday, and I want to celebrate." Connor nodded as he let her pull him into the hotel.  
  
  
"Do you think we should have done something different?" Dawn asked as she dragged a suitcase behind her. Spike's coat flapped behind her, just like it had done with Spike. They were boarding a plane that would take them to New York. From there they would be taking the train to Boston.  
  
Connor looked at her, mirth clear in his eyes. "What, you don't think the note was enough?"  
  
Dawn giggled. The note had read:   
  
Everyone, we ran off to Vegas to elope. Well not really. We needed to go "find" ourselves or something like that. Don't worry, we'll write, honest. Don't try to find us either. We're safe.  
  
~ Connor and Dawn  
  
"Well it wasn't the best way to let them know. But I guess that's where procrastination leads, huh?" Dawn looked at him.  
  
"Hard work may pay off later, but procrastination pays off now," Connor quipped.  
  
Dawn rolled her eyes. Who needed the Scooby gang when you had Mr. Destructo boy at your disposal? He was much with the quip as well a virtual one-man monster killer. Not to mention he had some serious magic mojo going on. Oh yes, Connor Angel was just one big mixture of the original Scooby gang, with a pinch of brooding Angel and ex-cheerleader.  
  
And she found it sexy.  
  
"You find what sexy?" Connor asked.  
  
Dawn blushed, "Nothing! Nothing at all."  
  
He raised his eyebrow in a very Angel fashion. Sorta like the time he had caught her going through her sister's stuff. She wanted to read Buffy's diary. Angel had been lurking in her room. That's when Dawn had found out he was a vampire. She had found out even before Buffy had. She felt special. And Connor made her feel even more special.  
  
She sighed, "I was thinking about how you're a mix of the original Scooby gang. You've got that Willow magic groove, you kill demons with ease, and that's so Buffy and you crack not so funny jokes like Xander. And then you've got the bit about Angel, what with the slight brooding. Which is sorta weird. I mean, you're the son of my sister's old boyfriend. It's icky when you look at it like that. But then again we aren't that differing. You're only about a year and a half, and I three. Younger men and older woman never seem to work out as couples though…"   
  
Dawn would have gone on, if it weren't for him pulling her into their seat. She looked at the teen she was running off with. Wow, that sounded awkward. She never thought she would do something like this. "Wha?" she asked before she found herself assaulted by Connor's mouth.  
  
Okay, assaulted wasn't the exact way to describe it, but it was a surprise. When he finally let up, and she thought it was from lack of air, she looked at him. "Wow," she said, a sloppy grin pasted on her face.  
  
"Wow, that made you shut up. I'll have to remember that for next time," she hit him. "If there is a next time. Oh yeah, I don't brood," Connor smiled slyly before turning away and buckling his seatbelt. He then turned and did the same for Dawn.  
  
"Er…um…" Dawn was still tongue-tied.  
  
"Ready or not, here we come," Connor whispered as the plane started rolling down the tarmac. They were leaving their lives behind.  
  
The airplane ride was interesting. Dawn kept sneaking looks at Connor. He had kissed her! It was the first, not counting Halloween two years ago, that had kissed her.  
  
A boy had kissed her, a boy of the living variety. If she could have, she would have melted into a Dawn shaped puddle right there in the airplane. Then the airplane attendants would have to scoop her into a little baggie for Connor to take home.  
  
But home was back in LA. And they were going to someplace overseas. They were jumping the pond. She wondered what it would be like when they were in England. The English people she had met, well she didn't like them.  
  
Except for Giles, and Wesley, although Wesley was really annoying when she first met him. Or maybe that was just the Council of Watchers, or what Giles called them under his breath, the Council of Wankers.  
  
Maybe this Hogwarts thing would be fun. Who knows. She might even make a couple friends.  
  
Her smile widened. Yeah, this would be fun.  
  
  
Connor looked at Dawn; she was grinning. He liked that look on her. It lit up her face; it made her even more pretty than she already was. He hoped he could keep her smiling. She was like a breath a fresh air in his otherwise stuffy life.  
  
And when had he become such a poet?  
  
He wasn't crafty with words. Weapons on the other hand, well that was something totally different. He wondered if Dawn would like to see the forty-seven ways to maim a Flargg Demon with his bare hands. Nah, she wouldn't go for that stuff. Connor bet that Dawn liked pretty things, like soap, and flowers, and candy. Okay, candy wasn't pretty. It was nice. He had taken a liking to twizzlers. They make your mouth happy.  
  
"Why are you grinning?" Dawn asked him.  
  
He looked up, embarrassed. "No reason," he said quickly.  
  
Dawn wasn't impressed. "Uh huh. Sure. Now what's with the grin?"  
  
"I was thinking about things that made mouths happy," he confessed. She got a scandalized look on her face. "Not like that!" He hissed. "You know, twirlers?"  
  
"Oh!" Dawn sighed. "I thought I had taken a liking to a pervert."  
  
"Hello, fifteen year old boy," Connor said.  
  
She patted his arm. "You keep telling yourself that."  
  
Connor scowled.  
  
  
"Okay, where are we supposed to go now?" Dawn asked as they stepped out of the air-conditioned airport to the muggy July air of New York.  
  
"The train station," Connor told her. Hadn't they gone over that part already?  
  
Dawn glared at him. "I knew that, but how do we get there?"  
  
Connor shrugged. Sighing exasperatedly, Dawn hailed a cab, or tried to. Pushy people took them before either of them were able to take a step. Dawn turned towards Connor. "Get them?"  
  
He shook his head. "How about we walk instead?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head. "I am not lugging around this suitcase. So go and get us a taxi." Pushing him towards the curb she waited until Connor was able to flag down a cab to walk over to him.  
  
They sat in the taxi, taking in the sites of New York. "What's that?" Connor asked, pointing to the Empire State Building.  
  
"The Empire State Building," Dawn answered. They were sitting in traffic, again. This was worse than LA!  
  
"Oh, can I jump off of it?" he asked.  
  
"No," she told him before glaring at the taxi in the rearview mirror. "You know, you're supposed to get us to Grand Central Station the quickest way, not the most expensive." The taxi driver didn't say anything. And Dawn folded her arms, pouting. She just hoped they'd make their train on time.  
  



	3. Toe to Toe, Head to Head

Disclaimer: I so don't own this. Joss and JK Rowling do.   
  


* * *

  
Jay stood in Franklin Court, Boston's equivalent to London's Diagon Alley. The American jabber around him made him grit his teeth as he wandered through the streets. People bustled in and out of the impersonal brick buildings as he wondered if the people he was supposed to pick up would rather go to Diagon Alley then here.  
  
Looking around, he decided on Diagon Alley. Franklin Court probably didn't have all the books that Hogwarts required, and he knew for a fact that in the Apothecary shops they didn't sell Gilvo over two grams. At Hogwarts they demanded that you had to have at least ten grams to last you until Christmas. You could get some at Hogsmeade, but it was overpriced, and often there were third years trying to buy it.   
  
But before he'd leave he was going to stop in at Markin and Company. He heard that the large bookshop specialized in Transfiguration texts. Nobody would question him either, which was always good. Maybe he could find a Charms book to peak his interest as well.  
  
His purse of money was considerable lighter when he left the large booksellers. Shrinking his books quickly, Jay made sure they were secure in his satchel before walking off. Jay ignored his urge to smile. There were things he liked about the United States; namely they didn't care if you practiced magic outside of school. Well they did, and they monitored to see if you were doing something abnormal, but they didn't care if you used regular old charms. Another great thing was that when he did use magic, the British Ministry couldn't due anything about it, it was out of their jurisdiction, plus Dumbledore had given him a note.  
  
Rolling his eyes at his last thought, Jay started to make his way to muggle Boston and Boston International.  
  
  
Vanessa waited, leaning against a wall in Grand Central Station. Her ginger colored ponytail swung back and forth as her head bobbed to a silent beat. Her hands plucked at the pair of jeans she wore what she wouldn't give to be wearing a skirt. Since she had been on a dragon reserve, skirts wee out of the question, you couldn't run in them, and no one answered her directly when she asked about split skirts. So she had to suffer through jeans for the summer.  
  
Slipping into the bathroom, Vanessa pulled her hickory wand from her pocket and tried to remember the spell for transfiguring clothes into other clothes. Mentally ticking off the spells she had memorized out of necessity, she found the one she was looking for. Murmuring the words, she felt the heavy denim of her trousers to the light airy cotton of a skirt. Looking down, Vanessa grinned, it was the red paisley one as well.   
  
As she slipped back out of the bathroom, she heard the train for Boston being called. Walking down to deck 4B South, Vanessa watched for the two people she was looking for. There, out of the corner of her eye they stood. Weaving through the crowds, Vanessa trailed behind them, careful to not lose sight of them. As soon as they stepped onto a car, she darted in as well. She saw the boy and the girl sit in the four-person seat, she made sure that she had one of the seats across from them.   
  
"Hello," she smiled warmly, hoping that she could get them to trust her. "I'm Vanessa."  
  
The girl returned the smile. "I'm Dawn, and he's Connor." The boy, Connor nodded his greetings.  
  
"So why are you two going to Boston?" Vanessa asked.  
  
"We're catching a plane to London, it was cheaper," Dawn offered.  
  
Vanessa nodded in understanding as she flashed another smile. Maybe it was time to bring up Hogwarts. "Me too," she then lowered her voice, the smile still fixed upon her face. "Are you going to Hogwarts as well?"  
  
Connor looked at her. "So you're a witch?" he asked.   
  
Vanessa was struck at how musical his voice sounded, if he sung, she bet he would be a tenor. He looked as if he had one of those smooth voices. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Part of the Gryffindor House I am."  
  
"Gryffindor House?" Dawn looked at the other girl carefully. "Explanations are good."  
  
Vanessa sighed as she sat back in her seat. "Hogwarts is spilt into four houses, each with a certain characteristic trait. Gryffindor is known for their bravery, Hufflepuff for their loyalty, Slytherin for their ambitions, and Ravenclaw for their intelligence. My whole family has been in Gryffindor for generations.  
  
They spent the rest of the three-hour trip talking about Hogwarts, and their families. Dawn and Connor learned about the magical world while Vanessa learned about the demon world. It was a fair trade.  
  
"I had no clue one could have such a large family." Dawn said as they stepped of the train and into the muggy Boston air.  
  
Vanessa shrugged. "It has yet to reach it peak. Ron, Charlie, nor Ginny is married, though Ginny is engaged. Percy has a little princess in the form of seven year old girl and a little hellion in the form a three year old boy. Neither Fred nor George has kids.  
  
Connor wrapped an arm around Dawn's waist affectionately. "And Bill is your father?"  
  
She nodded as they walked out of the station. "I think we're supposed to meet Jay at Boston International on the north end."  
  
"Jay?" Dawn questioned. She thought Vanessa was the one who was supposed to pick them up and introduce them to the wizarding world, not some guy named Jay.  
  
Vanessa nodded again. "Jay. I just came along for the ride. My Uncle Charlie works on a dragon reservation outside of New York City, I spent my summer with him. Dumbledore, Hogwarts' headmaster, has me to tag along. I've met Jay once or twice and he's rather…intimidating. Takes after his father I suppose. Just don't tell him that."  
  
"Who's his father?" Dawn asked, her curiosity aroused. The other girl had talked about Jay's father as if she knew him.  
  
Vanessa shrugged. "Nobody will tell me. I think my father, my Uncle Charlie, and my Uncle Percy might know. But for once, the Wesley boys are keeping their mouths shut on a subject."  
  
Connor listened as Vanessa spoke. He supposed he knew what Jay felt like not wanting to be like your own father. But no matter how hard you tried, it always happened, unless someone changed it for you. If someone cared enough to keep you following a path you wanted instead of a path you loathed to take. He had almost gone down the wrong path, the path of revenge, when somebody stopped him. The same person who had taken him so long ago, Wesley Whyndam-Pryce. Wes had been that friend, and Connor would be that kind of friend to Jay.  
  
They walked silently to the subway station that would lead them to Boston International. They savored the sites and smells that were unique to a city, and the sites and smells unique to that city, Boston.  
  
  
Jay waited at gate 8G, waiting for his two charges to show. When he saw the two that fit the descriptions, he scowled. There was another among them. They were supposed to come alone. If no one had come with them, there would be no tearful good byes and him feeling awkward. But then he saw the red hair of the third. It was a Weasley; it had to be. No other wizarding family had that particular shade of hair.  
  
When they walked up, he recognized this particular Weasley to be Vanessa; she was in his year, and quite annoying at that, what with her questions about his life. He would tell her on a need to know basis, and she quite frankly did not need to know.  
  
"Weasley," Jay ground out.  
  
She gave him a happy go lucky smile. "Hello Jay."  
  
He scowled at her; "I can take it from here."   
  
Her smile didn't waiver as she waved her hand. "Nonsense. I'm just here for the ride. Besides, I wanna see what it's like on a plane. My grandfather wants to know."  
  
Gritting his teeth, Jay was reminded why he hated, not hated was too strong a word, strongly disliked, this girl. "Old muggle loving fool."  
  
Vanessa narrowed her eyes as she stalked up to him. "What did you just say?" she asked him, her voice deadly and low.  
  
Jay gave her a lazy smile; "You heard what I said. Your grandfather is an old muggle loving fool."  
  
"Take that back," Vanessa's voice was like poisoned honey, sickly sweet with an edge.  
  
Jay stood back, "No. If people like him just kept their noses in their own world, we wouldn't be in messes like this."  
  
"Messes like what?" she asked.  
  
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wouldn't be born. If that woman hadn't fallen in love we wouldn't be like this. We wouldn't be in fear," Jay hissed.  
  
Vanessa saw red. "You take that back," she was pissed.  
  
Jay shook his head, smirking as Connor and Dawn watched in strange fascination. "I don't take back what I say when I speak the truth." She swung; Jay caught her wrist. Holding her wrist in a tight grip he twisted. "Do not cross me. I do not know why you have a fascination with my life. But a word of advice, stay out of it." Giving a sharp twist, Jay let go of Vanessa's wrist and turned to the boarding gate. They were already calling passengers.  
  
Dawn leaned towards Connor. "Do you think they'll make us drink tea in England?" He shrugged, he didn't know.  
  
  
As they got off the plane at London's Heathrow Airport, one could cut the tension in the group with a knife. Jay had not spoken to anyone during the three-hour plane ride; instead he amused himself by reading one of the books he had bought earlier that day. He glared at anyone who dared come too close.  
  
Except Connor. Jay glared at Connor as well, but Connor was not affected by it. His father had more potent glares than that, and Jay didn't brood. Connor didn't mind.   
  
Jay walked briskly through the streets of London, not waiting for the Americans to catch up. Stopping at the Leaky Caldron, he watched as the trio, with Vanessa leading the way, make their way down the street. Somewhere, deep in his heart he felt bad for the way he treated them, but why couldn't they just leave him alone? He just wanted to finish his magical schooling and get on with life.  
  
But they didn't seem to want to get out of his life. It was confusing, it was late, and most of all, it was making his head hurt. Looking up, he saw they were closer now. Jay slipped a mask on and disappeared into the pub. Taking a seat at the bar, Jay heard the other three come in. Tom was already handing him a glass of scotch. Jay thanked him after he took a sip.  
  
"They allow you to have that stuff?" Dawn asked, recognizing it at scotch. It had been a particular favorite of Giles.  
  
He looked at her, his eyes bored. "Oh yes, I'm so special that they only let me have the highly potent alcoholic drink. Brush up on your wizarding law," Jay turned back to his drink.  
  
"That was you're job," Connor said quietly, taking a seat next to Jay.  
  
Jay turned and looked at the often-silent boy. Nodding he said, "You're right." Then turning back around he signaled to Tom. The old bartender nodded and soon brought over a decanter of scotch and three glasses.   
  
"Be careful," Tom warned. "Don't use the floo when you're done. Go up to your room. I'll make sure there are enough beds for you lot."  
  
Jay watched the old bartender hobble away before turning towards his companions. "Alright then. You need to learn wizarding law." He stood and made his way to his usual booth in the corner. He slid into it; Connor beside him, Vanessa and Dawn sat across.  
  
"First off," Jay poured a round of scotch. "The Ministry doesn't care what you do, as long as it doesn't involve magic. So we could carry on with a loud song by that muggle singer called Brightney Spoons or something or other."  
  
"Britney Spears?" Dawn asked innocently.  
  
"Whatever. But we could be singing some song, off key and loudly, and the Ministry wouldn't care. They don't care if thirteen-year-olds run away from home and set up shop in Diagon Alley." Gulping down his glass of alcohol, he looked around the table. "There are levels of wizarding blood. Muggleborn, half-blood and pureblood."  
  
"Don't forget the Clans," Vanessa said quietly.  
  
"Clans, like Vampire Clans?" Dawn asked. She understood this, to a point. Angel had told her about it once, and Spike had explained them to her.  
  
Jay shrugged, "I never was interested in the Vampire clans, that was my oldest brother. But Clans are of the oldest family. They have ancient blood; they are bound to their land as house elves are bound to their masters. They are in all four houses, although they tend to be in Slytherin and Ravenclaw, and sometimes Gryffindor. Only a very few are in Hufflepuff."  
  
Jay went on to explain how land was passed down through generations, the land chose the most suitable, and usually it wasn't the firstborn. He also explained how the Wizarding World, outside of England worked. Vanessa filled in most of the wholes, as her mother was Greek-Egyptian and an aunt was Japanese. They explained the "parties" where arrangements were made, and where they were broken through petty arguments. There was power struggle among the old families, among the upper crust and elite of Wizarding society, and all over the Dark Lord.  
  
It was nearing two in the morning when they finished up. All of them were tipsy. It was obvious that neither Connor, nor Vanessa could hold their liquor. Dawn, surprisingly could walk up the flights of stairs without help, even though she had drunk four and a half glasses. Jay was the most impressive of all of them, single handedly he had almost finished a bottle, and he was walking up the stairs, dragging Connor behind him.  
  
When Dawn asked him about this, he just flashed a reckless smile, "Life," he said. "Has taught me many things. I hold my liquor, and I act. They helped me stay alive." Dawn quirked an eyebrow when he said that, but didn't comment on it.  
  
As they entered Jay's room, Jay rolled his eyes. Gone was the bed, instead squashy purple sleeping bags. "Bloody hell," Jay said. He really did not want to sleep on the floor, besides he was looking forward to the comfortable bed. Throwing Connor on one of the sleeping bags, he looked for one of his sleep sets. He ignored the moan that came from Connor and the squeaking that came from Vanessa.  
  
The room grew quiet as Jay lay on his sleeping bag. They were all awake, and soon Dawn felt the need to say something. "What was you're worst memory Jay?" she asked. "Mine was when my sister died…she died for me, for the world." She sat up, and looked across the prone forms of Vanessa, then Connor and finally Jay.  
  
He sighed. "Being left in hell, being left in Hope Haven."  
  
Connor grunted and Vanessa squeaked. Both teens ignored them, suddenly feeling something like a friendship between the two of them. Hours after they fell asleep, and dawn was approaching, a fine purple mist settled upon the four. It wrapped around them like thin, but warm blanket. Slowly it sunk into their skin, as if it was water and their skin was cloth.  
  
Suddenly there was a flash of light, and there sat a black jaguar, a cougar, a lynx, and then a panther. Then as sudden as it had appeared, it was gone, leaving the sleeping, prone forms of the teenagers in the rosy light of the dawn.  
  


* * *

Author Note: Fun comes next chapter. Oh yeah, lots of fun...shit hits the fan, which is the best way to describe it. Hehe, you get to see the Keep.  
  



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